Battery train-lighting system.



PATENTED DEC. .17, 1907.

PI AYDBOKER. v BATTERY TRAIN LIGHTING SYSTEM.

APPLIOKTION FILED APR. 4, 1906.

2 SHEETS- SHEET 1.

ATTORNEX W/ T/VESSES:

PATENTED DEC. 17, 1907. F. A. DECKER. BATTERY TRAIN LIGHTING SYSTEM.

APPLIOATION FI LED APR.4,1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Mme-835s.- AL; w Aux.

UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFIC,

FRANK A. DECKER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE Ail-SIGN MENTS, TO DECKER ELECTRICAL MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF WILMINGTON,

DELAWARE.

BATTERY TRAIN-LIGHTING SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

7 Patented Dec. 17, 1907.

Application filed April 4, 1906. Serial No. 309,832.

and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a Battery Train-Lighting System, of which the following is a specification. i

This invention relates to the application of a primary battery to liglitingrailroad coaches, and its leading purposeis to provide aconvenient, practical and efficient system therefor.

In the preferred mode of practicing the in vention, there is secured beneath the coach a housing having compartments with means for holding the battery and octane for tlie solutions so that both battery and tank can easily be inserted in position for quickly coupling them and readily removed, .the

mechanism having the important characteristic that a tank containil'ig new solution can be substituted. for a tank containing eX- hausted solution with the readiest facility in making the necessary discon'nections and connections. Conduits are connected with the tank and battery so that air can be introduced for the purpose oftransferring the so lutions. and a lighting system is connected with the battery, mechanism being con nected therewith for controlling the air and the current.

The system provides the advantage that each car hasits independent lighting unit which can be maintained and operated very convenimitly and readily, the tank and battery being so placed, constructed and connected that they can be handled and operated withfacility while the controlling apparatus is within easy reach and permits the several operations to be governed by'a single movement.

- The characteristic features will more fully appear by reference to the following description and the accompanying drawings inillustration thereof, of which Figure 1 is a sectional elevation representing the invention. in its application to a car, Fig. 2 represents an enlarged view of the controlling mechanism with parts broken away, Fig. 3 -represcmts a sectional view taken through the housing showing the side of the tank andv a section of the bottom of the battery, Fig. 4 is a plan view representing the coupling mechanism for connecting the conduits with the tank, Fig. 5 is an end elevation of the mechanism shown in Fig. 4 with the end of the tank broken away, Fig. 6 is a sectional side elevation of the mechanism shown in Fig. 4, Fig. 7 is a sectional side elevation of the coupling with the connected conduits, and Fig. 8 is a plan view-of a blank to be substituted for the coupling to seal the tank for transportation.

As shown in the drawings, the car 1 has depending from the bottom thereof the housing 2 having the upper compartment 3 for the battery 4 and the lower compartment 5 for the tank 6. The battery is supported transversely to the car by its casing or crate 7 resting on the sills 8, and the tank is likewise supported transversely to the car by the guides 9, being positioned by engagement of the boss 10 with the socket 11, doors 12 and 13 providing means for closing and openin the compartments. The tank 6 is provide with a partition 14 dividing it into compartments .15 provided with lead linings 16 for holding the solutions.

A coupling member 17 is fixed to the to of the tank at the outer end thereof, throng which pass the conduits 18 to the bottoms and the conduits 19 to the tops 0 the respective compartments. A. second couplin member 20, on the conduits 22 connects withv the battery compartments, fits the member 17 so that the conduits 18 and 22 .register, while a conduit 23 connected with the member 20 communicates with the conduits 19. A blank 24, provided with the bosses 25 and 26 for closing the respective conduits 18 and 19, is substituted for the coupling member 20 when the tank is to be removed. To hold-the parts 20 and 24 in engagement with the tank, they are each provided with a bearing 27, and an eccentric 28, having the hub 29 journaled in the bear ing 30 of the member 17, is provided for en-- gaging the hearing. A wrench 31 fastened to the tank by a chain 32, has a square hub- 33 for engaging the corresponding socket 34 in the hub 29 to turn the eccentric 28 so as to 100 clamp and unclamp the parts 20 and 24. It will be understood that with the tank in. its compartment coupled to the battery, it can be disengaged by turning the eccentric so as to unclutch the part 20 which can be lifted 105 out of engagement with the dpart 17 by reason of the flexibility provide in the connections 22. The tank being new partially withdrawn, the blank 24. is substituted for the part 20 and locked in place. v A reversal 110 of this operation takes place in connecting the tank with the battery.

Connected with the conduit 23 is a conduit 35, by means of which air can be forced into the tank to lift the fluids from the tank compartments into the battery through the connecting conduits, or permitted to exhaust when it is desired to drain the solutions into the tank compartments. Acylindrical valve seat 36 having the ports 37 and 38 is set in the conduit 35 and a cylindrical valve 39 with the passages 40 and 41 therein controls these ports. A lever 42 is connected with and operates the valve.

When it is desired to force air into the tank, the lever is turned into position to engage the stop 43 of the controller are 44, so that the passage 40 is in line with the conduit 35, in which position the port 38 and the passage 41 are closed. The solutions having been lifted from the tank into the battery, the air is held in the tank to support the solutions by turningthe lever into position to engage the stop 45 of the are 44.

Vhen'it is desired to discharge the air and permit the solution to drain by gravity from the battery into the tank, the lever is turned into engagement with the stop 46, in which position an exhaust passage is provided for the air by way of the port 37, the passages 41 and 40 and the port 38. A gage 46 set at the top of the are 35 in the conduit 35 leading to the valve mechanism, indicates the pressure and a valve 47 in this are regulates the pressure. The battery is connected by the conductors 48 (extending through the conduit 49) with the electrically separate and insulated cli s or contacts 50 carried b the are 44, and t e lever 42 is provided witii the blade 51 which is insulated therefrom,

the blade and contacts forming a switch for making and breaking the circuit. This circuit contains the lamps 52 and the automatic volt regulator 53. It will be understood that when the lever is turned into engagement with the stop 45 to close the circuit the battery has been charged and is operative, and when the lever is thrown back to the initial position in engagement. with thestop 46, the circuit is broken by the same operation that turns the two way valve to the exhaust position. It is to be understood that the air or fluid pressure communicated through the conduit 35 may be taken from the train system .or provided by a pump 54.

1. A battery, a lamp circuit connected to said battery, a-tank, a conduit having a detachable coupling connecting said tank and battery, a conduit connected with said tank so that pressure can be communicated to solution contained ther in, a valve for controlling the said last nained conduit and means for opening or closing said circuit and operating said valve.

' 2. A battery,=a tank connected therewith, a circuit containing lamps connected with said battery, means for transferrin solution between said tank and battery, and mechanisms for controlling said circuit and said transfer of solution b a single operation.

.3. A battery. a tank connected therewith, a circuit containing lamps connected with said battery, a conduit leading to said tank for communicating pressure to the solution 4 contained therein, and mechanism for controlling said oircuit and said conduit.

4. A battery, a tank connected with said battery by a conduit having a detachable coupling, a conduit for conveying pressure to said tank, a car having housings for said battery and tank, a circuit containing lamps connected with said battery and disposed so as to illuminate the said car, and means for controlling said circuit and said fluid pressure conduit.

5. A tank in combination with a battery, a coupling member connected with conduits communicating with the interior of said tank, an eccentric revoluble in a bearing fixed with relation to the tank and having means for revolving it, and a member connected with said battery which registers with said cou I duit, and mechanism-for simultaneously operating said valve and said contacts.

8. A battery having cou ling mechanism connected there'toanda tan having a coupling mechanism connected thereto and registering with the coupling mechanism of said battery, said mechanisms having means for admitting fluid pressure to said tank and for conducting solution from said tank to said closing or opening 1 battery. Having described my invention I claim In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 31st day of March, 1906, in the presence of the subscribin witnesses .FRAN A. DECKER.

Witnesses:

ROBERT JAMES EARLEY, Louis H. Buck. 

